1. Field of the Invention
This invention is a medical device configured for use in drawing and collecting samples of bodily fluids, and especially vascular fluids such as blood. One aspect of the invention relates to a fluid collection tube holder comprising two longitudinally separated, oppositely facing, preferably coaxially alignable, needles. One needle faces forwardly and is suitable for insertion into a patient. The other needle faces rearwardly and is suitable for insertion into a collection tube for bodily fluids that is preferably evacuated. A flash chamber is desirably but not necessarily provided between the two needles to alert the user that the forwardly facing needle tip is positioned so that a bodily fluid is flowing through the needle.
Another aspect of the invention is a blood collection tube holder having slide-activated needle retraction that is selectively initiated by the concurrent application of digital pressure to opposite sides of the device, and wherein the invention comprises a sliding interface disposed between opposed and facing surfaces of a body and a frontal attachment, and transverse to the direction of fluid flow through the device.
Another aspect of the invention is a medical device having a body, a frontal attachment disposed in transverse sliding engagement with the body, two oppositely directed, coaxially aligned needles seated in the body and in the frontal attachment, respectively, and a needle retraction chamber in the body that is offset laterally from a fluid flow path through the body. Following collection of a fluid sample, the user initiates relative sliding movement along an interface between the body and the frontal attachment that is transverse to the original fluid flow path. This movement realigns the forwardly facing needle with the needle retraction chamber so that the forwardly facing needle is retracted into the needle retraction chamber and the associated needle tip is no longer exposed, thereby lessening the likelihood of accidental needle stick injury and the possibility of contamination by fluid-borne pathogens. Needle retraction can optionally be achieved before or after withdrawing the forwardly projecting needle from the patient and before or after withdrawing a fluid collection tube (such as a Vacutainer® blood collection tube often used during venipuncture procedures) from a patient's vein.
According to another aspect of the invention, optional structures useful for avoiding premature lateral repositioning of the body relative to the frontal attachment are also disclosed. Such structures can include, for example and without limitation, a locking cap that engages the body or another rupturable, breakable, frangible, frictionally engageable or otherwise selectively displaceable physical barrier that restricts premature transverse lateral movement of the frontal attachment relative to the body of the device.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,775 and RE39,107 disclose Medical devices such as blood collection tube holders having a single double-ended needle that is retractable into the cylindrical body of the tube holder following use. Needle retraction is initiated by closing a hinged cap upon removal of a fluid collection tube, which causes a coaxially aligned inner sleeve to move forwardly and release a rearwardly biased needle.
U.S. D645,962 and U.S. D660,420 disclose a housing for a collection device for bodily fluids that comprises a substantially cylindrical section having a forwardly extending cylindrical nose, an open rear end, a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs disposed on each side of the cylindrical section, and an elongate arm pivotably mounted near the rear of the housing over an upwardly facing slot in the tube holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,496,600 discloses a non-reusable collection device for bodily fluids such as vascular blood, the device having a housing configured similarly to that of U.S. D645,962, wherein a single, rearwardly biased double-ended needle is constrained prior to needle retraction by a rotatably mounted lug ring. The needle is released during retraction by depressing a pivotably mounted trigger connected to the body of the device to contact and rotate the lug ring, after which the needle holder is driven into a retraction cavity disposed inside the trigger while the trigger is disposed at an angle that intersects the central longitudinal axis through the housing
U.S. Pat. No. 9,247,899 discloses a blood draw device with a single, double-ended retractable needle that is similar in form and function to the device of U.S. Pat. No. 8,496,600 except that a retainer clip retains the rearwardly biased double-ended needle until the front portion of an actuator (similar to the trigger of the '600 patent) is pivoted downwardly to cause the retainer clip to release the needle holder, after which a compressed spring expands and drives the needle holder into a retraction cavity inside the actuator that is disposed at an angle that intersects the central longitudinal axis through the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,469,927 discloses an actuator that moves relative to the housing but does not have a rearwardly facing needle and is not disclosed for use with a fluid collection tube insertable into the housing.